


The Next Evening

by ourgirlfriday



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Everybody lives!, M/M, Post-Film, except Shaw, no one likes shaw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-24
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-26 09:45:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1683848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ourgirlfriday/pseuds/ourgirlfriday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-movie: Erik seeks out Charles for a talk after the events of the movie. Things do not go as expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Next Evening

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd. And pretty indulgent. But dammit, if I can't indulge myself here, where can I?

Erik arrived at Westchester much later than he intended, far closer to dawn than dusk. Still, not being greeted by a familiar presence took him by surprise. 

_Charles?_ His projection was rusty, even to his own mind. He hadn’t tried to broadcast to a telepath in nearly a decade, but surely Charles would hear him. He’d left the helmet at the White House, after all. There was nothing to keep nosy telepaths out, now. 

_Erik!?_ Charles’s mental voice was surprised, and Erik could feel hints of poorly shielded anger and hurt below the surface. _What on earth are you doing here?_

_Can I not stop in to visit an old friend,_ Erik sent. He felt exposed and wished, for a moment, that he had not come.

But it was far past time for he and Charles to have this talk. 

_I….hadn’t expected this. Our parting at the White House seemed rather final, after all._

Erik grimaced at the memory. _That is partially why I need to see you_.

“I do appreciate you leaving the stadium behind, at any rate. I’m not so spry as I used to be,” Charles said. He looked tired and bruised, wounds from the day before obvious even in the darkness. Regardless, he was the most beautiful thing Erik could imagine. 

“I am….sorry, about that.” Erik admitted. It had been a shock, yesterday, coming to after Charles used his body and his power to remove the scaffolding covering Charles. He’d not realized that Charles had ever been in any danger. After, when he’d had a chance to tend to his wounds and think over the past few days, that thoughtless disregard for Charles’ safety struck out most of all. 

“Twice in one week? I never thought I’d see the day.” Charles’ voice was rough and his face stony, but not stony enough for Erik to miss the Charles’ own vulnerability. 

“I meant what I said on the plane,” Erik replied. “I mean it now. I’m sorry, Charles, for how this all turned out.” He hoped Charles could hear the truth in his voice or from his thoughts.

“I appreciate the apology,” Charles said, after a long moment. “But I can’t believe that you came all this way just to apologize.”

“I wanted to see you,” Erik murmured. “I..how are you sleeping?”

Charles’ eyes widened. “I..you remember that?” Erik looked at Charles, holding his eyes for a long moment before the other man sighed and dropped his gaze. “It has been a strange few days, you know. Not much chance for sleeping under any circumstances.”

Erik stepped closer and dropped to his knees, hands reaching out of their own accord to cup Charles’ face, fingers running through unfamiliar long hair. 

“I am sorry,” Erik said, unable to stop the words bubbling from his mouth. “Charles. I…”

“Shhh,” Charles soothed. “We’ll talk about this in good time”, he continued, fingers running through Erik’s hair. His voice was light, and for the first time in ten years Erik could feel the soft presence of Charles’ joy. “I have some...guests who you should greet first.”

“Guests?” Erik’s skin prickled. For a mad moment he thought Charles had brought the human authorities here to capture him, but no, that would be impossible. 

“You’ll be happy to see them, I promise.” Charles murmured. Erik leaned into Charles’ touch like a plant to the summer sun. 

“Charles?” A familiar voice called. Erik’s head snapped towards the speaker, and he rose to his feet. 

“Over here,” Charles called. “Tell Hank to grab another chair, would you? We’ll be having one more.”

“Tell him yourself, Xavier,” the voice answered. The speaker stepped into view.

“Moira?” Erik said, the penny finally dropping. “What are you doing here?” It was natural for him to step in front of Charles. 

“Lehnsherr?” Moira all but spat. “What the hell are you doing here?” Erik reached out to the metal surrounding him, readying for attack. Moira reached for her holster. He heard Charles sigh heavily and then he couldn’t move. 

_Charles!_ he thought sharply. _You dare turn on me for them?_

_Oh, quiet, sugar,_ another familiar voice cooed in his mind. _Xavier’s not holding you two. I am. Someone has to teach you both party manners._

_Emma!_ Charles’s voice broke in,sharp. _Release them, now._  


_I see you’re still no fun,_ Emma sent with the feeling of a smirk. 

“But you’re dead,” Erik said when he was under his own control again. For a moment he wondered if it was a trick of Charles, but it was never in the telepath to be maliciously cruel. 

“Sugar, just because you’re so easily caught doesn’t mean the rest of us were.”

“How?” 

“We were just discussing that, actually,” Charles said. He came alongside Erik and looked up. “You are welcome to join us, of course.”

“Jesus, what’s the hold up? Sean’s eating all of the bun things!” 

“Angel too?” Erik wanted very badly to sit. 

“And Sean, and Azazel, and Darwin too. Although Darwin came back on his own,” Moira said. “We humans have some uses after all.” 

“Moria and Emma have been busy these last ten years,” Charles said softly. 

“Can I have a moment with Charles, please?” 

“Fine”, Moira said, rolling her eyes. “But I’m not saving you the good wine.”

Emma followed Moira, pulling Angel in with her. Erik stared after them for a long moment. 

“Did you know about this, Charles?”

“Not a clue. I admit, it’s almost refreshing to be so blindsided.” Charles laughed. 

“I...I can imagine,” Erik muttered, feeling a large smile breaking on his face. He caught Charles’ gaze, and for some reason that made them both lose it.

“What the hell is this week,” Charles muttered, once he had regained composure.

“It’s a watershed for mutant relations,” Erik said as his laughter tapered off.

“So it is. A week of second chances,” Charles mumbled. 

“We need to talk, you know”, Erik said. He took Charles hand in both of his to soften the words. 

“I know,” Charles said. “I’m still mad, you know. I honestly don’t know if I want to hug you or stab you. And we need to talk about your tendency towards presidential assassination.”

“I already told you I had nothing to do with Kennedy--”

“Even once is too much, honestly, Erik.”

“So did you expect me to sit there, waiting for them to decide to murder us all before trying to save us.”

“I expected you to at least think ahead, Erik! Do you know what would have happened if Raven hadn’t had more sense than the both of us?” Charles’ voice had risen, and a flush covered his cheeks. Erik sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I know. It...wouldn’t have been good.”

“No, it would have been--wait, what?” Charles clearly hadn’t expected Erik to give in.

“It would have caused what we were fighting against. Charles, please. I’d like to try to meet you halfway. We need to make sure that what Logan told us about doesn’t come to pass.”

“What are you saying?”

“Let me stay, Charles. We’ll open the school, and prepare our people, together.” Erik reached out and was relieved when Charles offered his hand.

“I can’t, I can’t just let you back, Erik. Not if you’re going to bring us a war.”

“I won’t. I promise you I won’t. We can do this, but only if we work together.” He pressed a chaste kiss to Charles’ knuckles. “You know I’m right.” 

“I know,” Charles signed. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re kind of useless without each other.”

“Speak for yourself, Xavier,” Erik said without heat. 

“Seeing as how I at least wasn’t in prison, you have no legs to stand on.”

Erik gaped and Charles burst out laughing. 

“I’m sorry, but you should see your face,” he gasped. “I didn’t even mean that that way. Oh, I’ll have to remember that for later.” He tugged gently on Erik’s hand, ushering them into the mansion. 

“Are you ready for this, Charles?” Erik asked. “There’s no going back.”

“Well, my friend,” Charles answered, eyes warm and face soft, and so beautiful. “Lets find out.”


End file.
